Latest news with #AEDC
Sydney Morning Herald
02-08-2025
- Health
- Sydney Morning Herald
Broken Hill crisis response requires rethink
As Angus Thomson writes in today's Sun-Herald, new statistics have revealed two-thirds of Aboriginal children aged between one and five in Broken Hill have blood lead levels higher than the national guideline. Health workers and community leaders have urged Premier Chris Minns to invest in stable social housing for Indigenous families, labelling the situation a 'public health crisis' and warning that the current remediation program has worsened the situation, as tenants face rent hikes or evictions after landlords improved properties. The city's lead monitoring program was initially hailed as a public health success, but progress has plateaued. The average blood lead level for Aboriginal children between one and five years old has stayed above the national guideline in all but one of the past 10 years. Since 2015, taxpayers have spent more than $13 million managing the lead issue in Broken Hill, according to local community advocates. That's a lot of cash to spend on a situation that has not improved. Today's story notes that in 2023 the state government received briefing documents that the current approach, in which remediation occurs only when children have recorded high blood levels, was 'ad hoc'. It is unacceptable that any child is exposed to such environmental dangers, but it is particularly unacceptable that Indigenous children in Broken Hill are disproportionately being exposed to lead. Loading There is no known safe level of lead in blood, especially for children. NSW Health's fact sheet on lead exposure notes that such exposure, even at low levels, can affect children's physical and mental development. Among Australia's long list of Closing the Gap targets is to increase, by 2031, the proportion of Indigenous children assessed as developmentally on track by the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) to 55 per cent. That is the proportion of non-Indigenous children in NSW who meet those targets. But between 2018 and 2024, the proportion of Indigenous children meeting this metric went backwards on both national and state levels; last year just 34 per cent of Indigenous children nationally and 37 per cent in NSW were assessed as developmentally on track.
The Age
02-08-2025
- Health
- The Age
Broken Hill crisis response requires rethink
As Angus Thomson writes in today's Sun-Herald, new statistics have revealed two-thirds of Aboriginal children aged between one and five in Broken Hill have blood lead levels higher than the national guideline. Health workers and community leaders have urged Premier Chris Minns to invest in stable social housing for Indigenous families, labelling the situation a 'public health crisis' and warning that the current remediation program has worsened the situation, as tenants face rent hikes or evictions after landlords improved properties. The city's lead monitoring program was initially hailed as a public health success, but progress has plateaued. The average blood lead level for Aboriginal children between one and five years old has stayed above the national guideline in all but one of the past 10 years. Since 2015, taxpayers have spent more than $13 million managing the lead issue in Broken Hill, according to local community advocates. That's a lot of cash to spend on a situation that has not improved. Today's story notes that in 2023 the state government received briefing documents that the current approach, in which remediation occurs only when children have recorded high blood levels, was 'ad hoc'. It is unacceptable that any child is exposed to such environmental dangers, but it is particularly unacceptable that Indigenous children in Broken Hill are disproportionately being exposed to lead. Loading There is no known safe level of lead in blood, especially for children. NSW Health's fact sheet on lead exposure notes that such exposure, even at low levels, can affect children's physical and mental development. Among Australia's long list of Closing the Gap targets is to increase, by 2031, the proportion of Indigenous children assessed as developmentally on track by the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) to 55 per cent. That is the proportion of non-Indigenous children in NSW who meet those targets. But between 2018 and 2024, the proportion of Indigenous children meeting this metric went backwards on both national and state levels; last year just 34 per cent of Indigenous children nationally and 37 per cent in NSW were assessed as developmentally on track.
Business Upturn
17-07-2025
- Business
- Business Upturn
L3Harris to Build More than 20 New Large Solid Rocket Motor Manufacturing Facilities in Calhoun County, Arkansas
CAMDEN, Ark., July 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Following a meeting with Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders and AEDC leadership at the 2025 Paris Air Show, L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) announced plans to build more than 20 new manufacturing facilities in Calhoun County, Arkansas, that will produce large solid rocket motors. The new campus will create 50 new jobs over two years, adding to L3Harris' ~1,300-person workforce in Camden. 'Arkansas is a great place for L3Harris to fortify the domestic solid rocket motor industrial base with its dedicated workforce and strong state and local partnerships,' said Christopher E. Kubasik, Chair and CEO, L3Harris. 'Large solid rocket motors are essential to our nation's missile and strategic defense, and as the Trusted Disruptor, we are strengthening our ability to produce these systems rapidly and at scale, which is essential for current demand and the Golden Dome missile defense shield.' Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders and officials from the Arkansas Department of Commerce and Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) met with L3Harris executives at the Paris Air Show to secure this investment. The new manufacturing facilities will add to L3Harris' existing site in south Arkansas. 'After a great meeting with the CEO of L3Harris, Chris Kubasik, at the Paris Air Show last month and highlighting all that Arkansas has to offer, we are proud to welcome their new manufacturing facilities to South Arkansas, and excited they are helping to position Arkansas as the arsenal of democracy,' said Governor Sanders. 'Our state ranks best in the nation for cost-of-living, number one for inbound movers, and topped the country in economic growth for two quarters in a row – so it's no surprise that major companies like L3Harris continue to invest in our state and drive our number one export industry, aerospace and defense. Thank you, Chris and L3Harris, for choosing to make Arkansas home.' L3Harris is investing nearly half a billion dollars across its major production sites to support solid rocket motor production, including $193 million to be spent in Arkansas, with Arkansas businesses, to support the construction and activation of these new Camden LSRM facilities. Construction of more than 20 buildings in Calhoun County will add more than 130,000 square feet of manufacturing and office space supporting production of large solid rocket motors that can power missile defense targets, interceptors and hypersonic vehicles. 'L3Harris is a major part of the aerospace and defense industry in Arkansas, and we are excited to see the company's continued growth in our state,' said Clint O'Neal, executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. 'With this capital investment, L3Harris is advancing our national security and creating new jobs for Arkansans that will strengthen our state's economy and create new opportunities in south Arkansas.' L3Harris' new LSRM production facilities are expected to provide a six-fold increase in manufacturing capacity. L3Harris' Camden, Arkansas, site is the company's 'Center of Excellence for Solid Rocket Motor production.' Approximately 1,300 Camden employees manufacture more than 100,000 solid rocket motors a year, from those that fit in the palm of your hand to the size of an SUV. In February, L3Harris announced it began construction on four new solid rocket motor production facilities in Camden. That expansion effort is part of a cooperative agreement between the Defense Department's Defense Production Act Title III program and L3Harris to increase domestic rocket propulsion manufacturing capacity. 'We are proud that L3Harris has committed to this investment in their facilities in Calhoun County,' said Calhoun County Judge Floyd Nutt. 'South Arkansas has a long history in aerospace and defense manufacturing, and this project will build on that history. Calhoun County provides a strong workforce and great business environment for L3Harris' continued growth.' 'The Calhoun and Ouachita County area is a hub for the aerospace and defense industry in Arkansas and the United States,' said Ouachita Partnership for Economic Development Executive Director James Lee Silliman. 'We are excited that L3Harris has chosen to invest in new facilities in Calhoun County, and we stand ready to assist them to succeed in our area.' About the Arkansas Economic Development Commission At AEDC, we know economic advancement doesn't happen by accident. We work strategically with businesses and communities to create strong economic opportunities, making Arkansas the natural choice for success. AEDC is a division of the Arkansas Department of Commerce. To learn more, visit Media Contact: Tyler HaleArkansas Department of Commerce [email protected] 501-410-7883
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Fairly resigns from AEDC board; Prescott calls move 'right for the city'
Alex Fairly has resigned as chair and member of the Amarillo Economic Development Corporation board, stepping down just three months after his appointment to the high-profile post. City Manager Grayson Path confirmed the resignation in an email Path sent individually to each City Council member and the mayor on Tuesday, July 15, in accordance with Texas open meetings law. As of Tuesday, no formal resignation letter from Fairly had been made public. Fairly also informed fellow board members of his decision near the end of Tuesday's AEDC meeting. According to board member Randy Burkett, Fairly said he had not planned to stay on long term and felt it was the right time to step away. 'He told us he didn't really enjoy being on boards,' Burkett said. 'He felt like he had done what he set out to do, but the structure of the Texas Open Meetings Act can make it frustrating. You can talk to one person, but not a second — and I think that held him back.' Burkett, who was appointed to the board in April, said he was surprised by the announcement and expressed disappointment over losing Fairly's input. 'I was stunned,' he said. 'I had no idea it was coming. I really thought he would stay on through the end of our first year. It's a big loss — I don't know who could replace him. Alex is one of the smartest guys I've ever met.' Burkett added that while he believes the board will continue to function effectively, Fairly's departure leaves a noticeable void. 'We'll be fine operationally, but his perspective and experience will be missed,' he said. 'I'll probably still reach out to him with questions. He's a good friend, and I highly respect the guy.' More: Alex Fairly interview: Amarillo businessman talks about money, politics, and education Fairly was originally appointed in November 2024, following a wave of mass resignations from the AEDC board that left only one member in place. The Amarillo businessman was later named chair and reappointed in April to the newly restructured five-member board. Councilmember David Prescott, who has long questioned Fairly's appointment, said the resignation was appropriate. 'I think it's the right thing for the city,' Prescott said. 'Any time large political donors are appointed to positions of power based on campaign contributions, that's problematic.' Fairly was one of the most significant donors in recent Amarillo city municipal elections, contributing heavily to political action committees supporting the current council majority. He was reappointed in April following controversy over a $750,000 allocation to a politically connected nonprofit. 'We went through a lot to put him in that position, and now he's stepping away quickly,' Prescott said. 'From discussions with AEDC staff, our deal flow is near zero. We've got a lot of work to do to rebuild trust with businesses considering Amarillo.' Prescott added that Fairly had never formally applied for the board and criticized the selection process. 'These roles shouldn't be handed out based on who someone supports politically,' Prescott said. 'Applicants should be vetted and chosen for their qualifications, not connections.' Prescott voiced support for the AEDC's ongoing nationwide search for a new president and CEO. 'We need an open, apolitical process to find someone who can grow the AEDC and help drive the city's economic future,' he said. Fairly declined to elaborate on his decision but told the Globe-News, 'It was best for me to move on and quietly step aside.' As of Tuesday, no time frame had been announced for appointing a new board member or selecting a new chair. This is a developing story; more information and further comments will be added as they become available. This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Alex Fairly resigns as chair and member of Amarillo EDC board
ABC News
19-06-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Childcare, early education advocates sound alarm as development census results decline
Nearly half of Australian children are not considered on track with their development, according to the latest Australian Early Development Census (AEDC). The teacher questionnaire looks at children in their first year of school, and found just 52.9 per cent were on track in all five development areas surveyed in 2024. The results are an improvement on the first census taken in 2009, but a deterioration from the last survey in 2021. The percentage of children considered to be facing "significant challenges" to their development increased marginally in all areas, between 0.2 and 1.5 per cent. Chief executive of Early Childhood Australia Samantha Page told RN Breakfast the COVID-19 pandemic had played a major role in the latest result. "Play-based learning is really important for developing social competence and emotional maturity." Both those areas are assessed in the AEDC, along with physical health and wellbeing, language and cognitive skills, and communication skills and general knowledge. Ms Page stressed it was possible for developmentally vulnerable children to catch up, but that it took "a lot of resources". She said she supported the federal government's goal of a universal early education system, but the focus must be on disadvantaged children. Children from First Nations, non-English speaking, rural and remote, and low socio-economic backgrounds recorded worse results overall in the AEDC. The Labor government has promised to build more childcare centres in areas of need, and reforms to childcare subsidies, regardless of how much parents work or study, come into effect in January. "I think a country as well off as Australia really should have more than just over half of its children developmentally on track in the first year of school, and we really would like to see a concerted effort in response to this," Ms Page said. In the regional Victorian city of Ballarat, CEO of the Eureka Community Kindergarten Association (ECKA) Jo Geurts said the AEDC results could not be explained by the pandemic. "Early childhood was one of the only services that continued to operate all the way through COVID … in our region," she said. "I think it's more than that." She pointed to long waiting lists for health services, and workforce pay and training as areas in need of more investment. "The development of the brain in children in the years before they're eight years old is dramatic … so we need really high-quality educators," she said. Ms Geurts would like to see a shift in the language around the industry. "Yes, it's about workforce participation, particularly for women, but it's also got to be very much about children in a rich learning environment." Nearly one-quarter of Australian children live in a "childcare desert" — where three or more children compete for a place. That includes parts of the Wimmera, where early childhood advocacy group By Five works to close childcare gaps, and improve health outcomes by linking families with specialists and bringing allied health workers into schools. By Five executive officer Jo Martin said support must be tailored to community needs, and should be more flexible across departments and governments. "It's really important that we don't let … borders get in the way of getting the best outcomes for children," she said. Louise Middleton is a maternal child health nurse working in north-east Victoria, and has seen firsthand the challenges for people living more than 100 kilometres from key services. She told ABC Statewide Drive that developmental delays were exacerbated by long waiting lists. "If we [maternal child health nurses] pick up any issue with the child for their school readiness, we are absolutely unable to get them assessed in a timely manner," she said. "It's taking six to eight months just to get their in-home assessment, and then it's taking another six months for them to get NDIS or any other referrals and assistance." The federal and Victorian education ministers have been contacted for comment.
